Feeder for pneumatic stackers.



G. THOMPSON.

FEEDER FOR PNEUMATIC STACKERS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. I917.

LQM NE, Patelited Jan. 22,1918.

1419- 16 16b 11mm 16 g. G. THOMP50N- M. saw i 20 61mm,

GILBERT THOMPSON, OF BURNS, MONTANA.

FEEDER FOR PNEUMATIC STACKERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

Application filed March 10, 1917. Serial No. 153,912.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT THoMrsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burns, in the county of Dawson, State of Montana, haveinvented a new and useful Feeder for Pneumatic Stackers; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a feeding device for pneumaticstackers, and has for its object to provide a novel form of endless beltconstruction which will receive the straw and chaff from the shoe of thethreshing machine and feed it in a positive manner to the pneumaticstacker, thereby preventing accumulations of straw and chaff fromclogging the machine and choking the blower, as well as interfering withthe proper operation of the shoe by imposing additional weight thereon.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a positive feedmechanism for pneumatic stacker-s which is comparatively simple andinexpensive in its construction, which can be employed in connectionwith any conventional form of threshing machine, which has no delicatemechanism to get out of order. and which can be installed or removedwithout difficulty.

\Yilh these and other objects in view. the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description pro ceeds. the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

F or a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a side elevation of the rear end of a threshing machine and a portionof a pneumatic stacker, showing a feeding device constructed inaccordance with the invention, portions being broken away and shown insection to illustrate more clearly the details of construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the feeding device. showing itdetached from the machine, portions being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a feeding device.showing a slight modification of the invention Corresponding and likeparts are referred to in the following description and indicated in allthe views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, the reference character A designates the rear end of athreshing machine which may be of almost any conventional construction,being shown as provided with the usual straw rack l, stacker 2, and shoe3. The pneumatic stacker which is provided for carrying away the strawand chad discharged from the machine includes a stacker-tube 4, a hopperor receiving chamber 5, and a fan chamber 6 within which a suitableblower or fan 7 is mounted. Ordinarily, the straw and chaff dischargedfrom the shoe is force over a sheet metal plate into the receivingchamber 5 of the stacker, upon entering which it slides into fanchamber, and is forcibly driven through the stacker tube 4; by the airblast created by the blower 7. In practice, however, the straw and chafffrequently piles up and accumulates upon this sheet metal plate in sucha manner as to interfere with the action of the shoe, and to choke theblower when a large quantity of straw and chaff is suddenly deposited inthe receiving chamber.

In order to overcome this difficulty, I have provided a novelconstruction of endless belt conveyer which is especially designed forattachment to the threshing machine, and which will act in a positivemanner to convey the straw and chaff from the shoe of the receivingchamber, thereby preventing the chaff from accumulating and interferingwith the proper operation of the machine. The conveyer frame includes apair of iron side bars 8 which are connected at points slightly spacedfrom the ends thereof by cross bars 9, the corners of this frame beingconnected by diagonal braces 10, so that a rigid construction isobtained. Rollers 11 are journaled between the projecting ends of theside bars 8, one of the rollers 11 being journaled within fixed bearings1'2. while the other roller 11 is journaled within slidably mountedbearing blocks 13 which are acted upon by the springs 14. An endlessbelt 15 extends around the two rollers 11, and the tension in thesprings 14 normally tends to move the roller 11 outwardly to take up anyslack in the endless belt and ing machine. A sheet metal plate 16 isarranged Within the conveyor frame between the two reaches of theconveyer belt. One end of the plate 16 maybe returned and extendeddownwardly at 16 to engage one of the cross rods 9, while the other endof the plate may be bent and formed in a somewhat similar manner, asindicatedat 16", to provide a resilient arm adapted to be sprung intoengagement with the opposite cross rod 9. The plate may thus be insertedWithin the frame, or removed therefrom, as may be desired. One of therollers 11 is provided with a pulley 18 by means of which power can beapplied to the conveyer for driving the endless belt, the conveyer beingdrivenindependently of the shoe. 7

Side plates 18 are applied to the bars 8, said side plates being of asufficient width to extend upwardly above the endless belt 7 and preventthe straw and chaff from falling over the edges thereof. The bars 8 areextended forwardly at 8 to embrace the sides of the shoe 3, andterminate in enlargements 8 which are bolted to frame members a of thethreshing machine. The

rear ends of the side bars 8 are shown as provided with legs or props 20adapted to rest upon the floor of the receiving chainher 5 of thestacker to assist in supporting the frame of the conveyer in operativeDOSltion. A plate 17 is secured to the rear upe per edge of the shoe 3and projects over the end of the conveyor to prevent straw and chafffrom dropping between the shoe and the conveyer. is thus constructedindependently of both thethrcshing machine and stacker, and it will beobvious that it is adapted to be used as an attachment in connectionwith almost The feeder attachmer" of the standard makes of threshinmachines and pneumatic stackers. Instead of the canvas belt 15, aconveyer belt- 21, consisting of a series of slats, may be used, asindicated by Fig. 3. When the tight canvas belt 15 is employed there isno real need to lit the plate 16 withinthe conveyor frame, although thisplate 16' is quite necessary" when a skeleton belt, such as thatindicated at 21, is employed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 7 1. A feeder attachment" for pneumaticstackers, includingside' bars formed with extensions which are adaptedto embrace and be secured to the shoe of a threshing machine prop meansat the ends of the side bars for en asement with the floor of thereceiving chamber of apneumatic stacker.

bars an endless conve er belt extendin around the rollers, cross rodsconnecting the side bars at points between the rollers and adjacentthereto, and a removable plate extending under the upper reach of theendless belt, the ends of the plate being extended downwardly andconstructed to interlock yieldably with the crossrods to hold the platein position. p e In testimony whereof I have signed name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GILBERT THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

Loom GUsTiN, JOHN I. BEEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

' ;Washington, D. G.

